It is known in motor vehicles to provide a cargo area located in the passenger compartment immediately behind the rear seat. A rear hatch or rear cargo door grants access to this cargo area It is also know to have the seat back of the rear seat fold forward to increase the size of the cargo floor The cargo area may be covered by a cargo screen suspended above the cargo floor to conceal from sight the contents of the cargo area.
The cargo screen may be a panel of rigid material or a flexible sheet material retractably mounted to a reel. The cargo screen may be mounted on the rear seat, the rear door or the side walls of the cargo area. A disadvantage of the cargo screen is that the presence of the cargo screen within the vehicle occupies considerable space and can interfere with the use of the cargo area, especially when the rear seat is folded down and a large item is placed in the cargo area. Accordingly the prior art has provided cargo screen assemblies in which the entire cargo screen may be removed from the vehicle.
It would be desirable to provide a cargo screen which can be used when the rear seat is folded down and does not obstruct or diminish the cargo space. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a cargo screen which stores in a manner that does not require removal in order not to obstruct or diminish the cargo space.